Reservations and Preparations

It is critical that your reserve early!  Most rental companies print their catalogues and start taking reservations around November.  Even if you want a house in August or September, you need to make your reservation in the fall.  Yes, there is still active development in the area, but the summer demand increases every year faster than new homes can be built.  Also, someone renting a home the prior year has the first right of refusal for the same week.  With the number of returning families, there is little left for new rentals.  The one advantage you may have as a new renter is that it is hard for many to plan their summer vacations with such advance.

Another thing to notice is the rental fees for different dates.  In the heart of summer, all the rates are premium.  If you have some flexibility, you should try to arrange a rental during the "pre" or "post" season.  This is usually a couple of weeks in June just before most public schools let out, and in late August or early September just after public schools start again.  Private schools usually let out earlier and start later, and you can save a significant amount of money if you pick a week during this period.  You should note that the ocean is still pretty cold in mid June, and hurricane season is at it's maximum around early September.  There are great bargains during the off season, but I think almost all shops and restaurants are closed, so the area is somewhat of a ghost town.

The next thing to remember is to pack smartly.  These houses are really stocked.  Most even have huge video libraries, board games, video games, and other diversions.  However, there are a few thing you will need to bring with you from home.  Depending on what rental company you use, they will provide almost everything you need.  Many companies have standard items in each house that includes, beach chairs, umbrellas, grills, blenders, and cable TV's.  A very small number of homes do not include linens, so be sure to check with the company you use.  One piece of advice - bring your own pillows if you are as picky as I am.  While most everything I've found to be good to high quality in these homes, you may be unhappy if your home has nothing more than 1 foam pillow for each person there.

One of the first things you will need to do after you move into your new house is go to the grocery store.  The only place for grocery shopping north of Duck is the Food Lion next to the Buck Island community and the TimBuck II shopping village.  Almost all rental houses turn over on Saturday or Sunday, so the Food Lion is really crazy during this time.  It's like going shopping before a big snowstorm.  Hint: the store is open either till midnight, or 24 hours (I can't remember) so if you can wait to go shopping until 9:00 or later, it is usually much quieter.  I also recommend that when you go, you only get enough supplies for a couple of days, then go back mid-week.  You may end up eating out more than you thought.